ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2015, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 69-76.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2015.01.009

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Culture and Identification of Yak Mammary Epithelial Cells

CHEN Ya-bing1,FU Mei1,LAN Dao-liang2,LIN Bao-shan1,HUANG Cai1,LI Jian2*   

  1. (1.College of Life Science and Technology,Southwest University for Nationalities,Chengdu 610041,China;2.College of Tibetan Plateau Research,Southwest University for Nationalities,Chengdu 610041,China)
  • Received:2014-07-31 Online:2015-01-23 Published:2015-01-23

Abstract:

The present study was carried out to establish yak mammary epithelial cell (YMEC) line and identify its biological characteristic,which was separated using tissue explants method,purified by selective trypsinization,characterized by immunofluorescence and Western blot assay.Transfecting EGFP-N1 gene into cells using lipofection to examine whether foreign genes could be transfected into YMECs,fluorescence microscope was used to detect the expression of EGFP gene.Lastly,flow cytometry was used to evaluate the apoptosis level of cells with Annexin V/PI double staining and RT-PCR was used to examine gene expression of antibacterial peptide and apoptosis factors to determine the effect of Staphylococcus aureus infection on YMECs.Immunofluorescence assay results proved established cell line could express cytokeratin 18 rather than vimentin,indicating no fibroblast existing in epithelial cells.Positive expression of β-casein in YMECs demonstrated cultured cells could synthesize and secrete mammary- specific milk protein.Moreover,we detected EGFP protein in transfected YMECs by fluorescence microscope,showing EGFP gene was successfully transfected into the YMECs.After YMECs were challenged with for Staphylococcus aureus for 3 h,the apoptosis level of mammary epithelial cells was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).Furthermore,the expression of TAPP<0.01),BNBD5(P<0.01)and BAXP<0.01)genes increased; whereas that of BCL-2 gene decreased(P<0.05).To conclude,we successfully established a stable yak mammary epithelial cell line,which can be used as a useful model in vitro for study of yak mammary gland development and differentiation.

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